If I Lose Myself
by obscurepepsibottle
Summary: She was always uptight; a girl who never broke her moral code. But these are dark times now, and to her horror, one man, Gotham's Reckoning, will change everything she's ever stood for and everything she ever thought she knew. Change isn't always good, but sometimes it is necessary.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So this is my first fanfic, so it might be slow on updates and such. It's definitely rough right now, so kindness is appreciated. Feedback is appreciated as well :)

Morgan shifted from foot to foot, her uniform still feeling too loose. She wore the standard issue cargo pants, somewhat form fitting in the butt, combat boots, and her fitted athletic shirt with her unit identification. Her long blonde hair pulled into a braid that she thought was only adding to her headache. She loathed the agent she was assigned to, and would gladly have thrown him out of the plane on the way to the site.

The jeeps would be arriving soon with Doctor Pavel, and they would be back to the US in no time. And she was eager to see her friends back in her natural habitat; the city. The open area of the planed lands around the landing strip left her feeling uneasy, like a dog smelling the first hints of a storm.

"You ready, _Skyfall?_" Agent Langton stressed the pronunciation of her identifier, sarcastically, which only put her in a fouler mood.

"Please don't use that tone with me. It's bad enough that I've been assigned to this _transport detail_," she snarled at him while staring at the approaching Jeeps, "but it's even worse that they had to bring an old-timer out here like you to do this."

His snarky remark was cut short as she turned and walked in the direction of the plane, bounding up the steps and taking a seat in the front section. While she wasn't some expert in espionage, she was a trained fighter, a believer in balance and inner peace. Her years spent studying martial arts and living at a Tibetan Monastery gave her insight not only to the strength of her body, but the resolve of her mind. The first day she arrived and asked to be taught, she was turned away for her gender. So instead, she fought to prove her worth, shaving her head, fighting with the fellow students until she was accepted. And once again, she grew out her hair. While the monks at the temple thought it was a sign of vanity, she delved into the idea of the growth of her hair as a growth of her mind. And through some twisted method, the monks humored her. She became one of them. For six years she stayed there, until she felt the need for change.

The change brought her back to the United States, and to Gotham. The CIA discovered her after she had intercepted a meeting of mafia officials as a small time gig, only to be offered a slot with the crème of the crop intelligence agencies. She almost snorted at how excited she once was about the job. If she had known she would be babysitting a Nuclear-physicist, she would have opted for training MMA fighters back in the city. She was brought out of her reverie when Langton barked orders in the plane to the hired guns as assistance.

"Get them on board, I'll call it in!" She stood up at the mention of there being more than one extra passenger.

The moment the bagged men were thrust to their knees on the floor of the cabin and Dr. Pavel thrown into a seat, she was in Langton's face.

"What the hell is this? Our assignment was for the doctor and the doctor only." Something was wrong about these men. She could smell it.

"Calm down, hot-shot. We've been given a gift today! Some of Banes men, and we'll being flying our way back to the States and into a higher paycheck." His nonchalant grin spread into one of arrogance.

"And of course, I'll be the one to get the credit." He said as he his eyes narrowed at Morgan. A direct challenge aimed to keep her mouth shut so he didn't write a horrid review of her service.

Her lips pursed as she stalked slowly towards the bagged men and eyed the escorts with their shouldered rifles. Nodding to them in acknowledgment, she turned to face Langton once more.

"This wasn't part of our assignment, let alone part of our jurisdiction." She snapped. The man on his knees closest to her twitched slightly, perhaps in curiosity?

She couldn't help but notice how large this one was. If he were on his feet, she guessed, he would surely be a good foot and a half taller than her. While she was confident in her skills as a fighter, it was always difficult to take down an opponent that's nearly twice your size in both height and width. And this man certainly had width of muscle on his side. Carefully sidestepping him she shoved past Langton as he shot an insult her way, about her field experience of course.

"Get us in the air!" Langton shouted.

With a roll of her eyes, she relayed the order to the pilots in the cockpit and resumed her seat in first row of seats. From what she knew, Bane was a mercenary, a believer of sorts. She remembered hearing rumors about him while she was in Tibet, a masked man. The believer aspect of him had her concerned. While she knew of his ruthlessness, she also knew that a true believer of his purpose could be just as dangerous as a dictator rising to power. She had always thought of their methods to be similar to indoctrination.

Any man who was capable of convincing others to follow an ideal was dangerous indeed. She knew the power that the mind had, but it wasn't often appreciated. That was something she had to reevaluate during her training. Especially when learning meditation and the limits of her pain. With boundless patience she was capable of repressing feelings and building resolves to steel herself against the most trying of situations. She knew she was still young and not as well versed in the ways of the world, but she was wise for her years.

When Langton began shouting about shoving men out of the plane for information, Morgan sat on the corner of her seat to observe.

"First one to talk gets to stay on my aircraft!" He nodded to a soldier and the door opened with a loud sucking noise and the overwhelming noise of the engines echoed in the cabin.

Pointing to one of the first bagged men, a solder grabbed him and held him on the edge of the door. Morgan was gasped and was on her feet in an instant, moving in front of the doctor to block his view. She shouted at Langton and when he turned to her she stepped nearer to the end of the rows of seats.

"This is against protocol. If the Chair finds out about the use of threats against restricted prisoners aboard a government plane we'll be-"

"Operative Clarke, I suggest you shut your damn mouth, or if you so choose, keep talking and you'll be the one flying out of the plane!" He screamed at her before resuming his shouting at the men.

She growled and snarled 'egotistical bastard' as she turned to go to the cockpit. After entering the front of the plane, she stood behind the pilots. She knew he wouldn't listen to her, but that didn't mean she wouldn't openly question his authority. And that was what he hated the most. The pilots were a different story however.

They were the only kind people she had met on this damned mission, if you could call it that, and didn't judge her based on her field experience.

"Langton being an ass again?" the pilot the right chuckled at her soured expression.

"As always," she grumbled. "But patience is a virtue that I'm willing to exercise." She had told herself this many times so as to avoid a confrontation with her 'fellow agent'.

"Well once we get back into US airspace, feel free to push him out the door."

Morgan laughed at this, and said that she was going back out to the seats again. And once she did, she wasn't expecting what she saw next. Langton was kneeling in front of the man that she had sized up earlier. His massive shoulders clearly visible over Langton's head. What really had her tensing was Langton's hand reaching to remove the bag from the prisoners head.

"No one cared who I was until I put on the mask." His raspy, accented, mechanized voice had Morgan freezing midstep. His voice was deep and she could feel it resonating in the cabin and could only imagine how he had used that voice of his to influence his followers.

"Oh shit!" She hissed.

As the black bag was pulled over his head, the mask was the first thing to draw her eyes. The pipes and perforated screening in the front and straps wrapped around the sides of his head and over his nose to connect at the back of his skull. Her stomach turned suddenly at the realization of having the masked man himself aboard the plane. He was no common mercenary, he was a devotee of his mission. And being on a government plane as a willing prisoner? She immediately took her place standing just behind Langton. Her swift appearance had his eyes moving to her and his gaze did nothing but send her mind into overdrive.

"If I pull that off… will you die?" Langton's voice sounded strained as he nodded to the mask. Morgan watched them both carefully.

"It would be extremely painful," his voice was almost jovial and his eyes went back to Langton until he cut in.

"You're a big guy!"

"… For you." Bane finished.

Morgan knew better than to brush words aside. He almost made it sound like a promise. And with Banes reputation, there was no doubt in her mind that he would be capable of following through. Langton gave Morgan a quick glance and she nodded, knowing what to do next. Her feet swept her quickly to the cockpit.

"Call HQ and tell them we have a situation." Her voice was sharp as she barked the order at the pilots, her thoughts struggling to remain untangled with her growing anxiousness.

"Radio silence has been ordered until we clear hostile airspace." The pilot responded.

"Doesn't matter. We have an unexpected hostile. Langton violated protocol by deviating from instruction for personal gain. Send a report to Collins right now, we're-"

Morgan was cut off by the sounds of gunfire and had a split second to react. She turned and dove beneath the first row of seats, thudding against the bar that kept the parachutes in place. At a break in fire, she peaked around the base of the seats to find Langton falling to floor clutching his throat and she had no time to think through her actions. The plane was lifting, and not due to the engines. The shift in gravity nearly had her sprawling as the end of the plane lifted higher than the nose of the aircraft. She yanked a parachute out from beneath a seat and climbed over two rows of seats to get closer to the door that would lead to her escape.

Bane had men careening down from the tail of the plane, which had also exploded before their descent, their arms holding guns and let out a spray of bullets upon the soldiers that had fallen against the door of the cockpit. Her hands trembled with adrenaline as she knew she would have to survive this. While hidden from view, albeit temporarily, she fastened that parachute as quickly as she could and leapt to the row of seats below the door.

Bane and his men would be almost directly above her, doing something with the Doctor. She stole a glance between the seats as Bane pulled an IV out of the body bag his men had brought down with them. She would need to get around the men and she knew just how to do that.

Pulling her pistol out of its holster, she launched herself up two rows and fired at the hanging men, moving up another row dodging some spray from the remaining soldier. She was almost directly below Bane and her muscles were as tense as ever. _Now or never,_ she thought. She climbed over the next row to come face to mask with Bane and the Doctor. With a solid kick to the Doctors back he was pushed into Bane and climbing up to the door faster than Bane could reach for her.

"What a quick one you are!" His voice chilled her, but she didn't turn until her hands grasped the lever to the door.

She turned and fired at the last man hanging from a cable, killing him. In that moment, Bane had reached the row of seats closest to her. Pulling hard on the lever, the door was thrown open and fell away from the craft. The sudden vacuuming of the cabin made her drop to her feet in front of Bane. She stood quickly only to meet level with his chest.

"What a petty little creature. You think you can escape?" His hands reached, but she moved faster.

Grabbing both arms she yanked, hoisting herself equal to his eyes before wrapping a leg around a shoulder to kick herself up over the door and falling, just barely missing Banes grab for her leg.

As she fell, she could only think about how screwed she was to find a way back to the United States.

After she had fallen, Bane made quick note to hunt her down. She was a loose end. A fast and smart one, but a loose end nonetheless. If she was capable of getting back to her Headquarters, he would most certainly like a moment to meet her. Her actions were quick and precise, obviously had years of training. But not with CIA. _Very curious._ He mused as he grabbed hold of the screaming Doctor.

"Calm down, Doctor. Now is not the time for fear." He paused as he held the trigger. "That comes later."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Chapter 2! Not a lot of action here, but it'll give some info.

Enjoy!

Morgan was fumbling with the paperwork on her desk, having only made it back into the US three days ago. After falling from the plane and dropping down into the middle of nowhere, she reverted to her training from the monks.

She tossed aside her gun, boots, and the supplies that the parachute pack carried, only to continue on foot and survive with her standard issue knife. It took another four days after landing to get to a town, undercover of course, before she was able to contact an extraction force. And now back in her office she had to deal with the paperwork that Langton would have done if it went well. But she was also left with the mission detail of how it went horribly wrong.

Grumbling to herself, she tried to smooth out the kinks in her peach colored blouse and right her jeans. She knew she was going to get an earful the second she walked into her superiors' office. Director Collins was notified the second she mentioned Bane in her initial report, and they were convening a meeting with multiple department leaders to evaluate the situation. Grabbing the file and heading to the conference room, her nerves were getting the better of her. While she knew she did nothing wrong, she was going to have to defend herself against whatever accusations they came up.

_I did my job, I got out alive to tell the story, and I am unchanged._ Her resolve was strong as she walked into the conference room and silence fell heavily as she took her seat. Collins was the first to speak.

"Special Operative Clarke. On this report you have identified the assailants as associates of this Bane man?"

His aged face was hardened by years of work and wrinkled by stress. But he was a good man with an open mind. Morgan nodded before handing out a completed copy of her final report.

"Bane is a mercenary, did a lot of work for mining companies in West Africa. Recent events concerning my escort mission leads me to believe that-"

"You are not paid to draw conclusions, Skyfall." The chair of the Reconnaissance and Tactics Office pointed it out. He said it without malice, which was what halted Morgan's practiced speech. With a nod and a short apology, she continued.

"Bane and two of his cohorts were brought to us and we had no reason to believe that it was Bane himself." She paused as she watched the five men at the table. _Patience._ Her mantra echoed in her mind.

"We had received Doctor Pavel's location only hours after our associates apprehended him in Tahta, Turkmenistan. Once transport was confirmed we waited to the Doctor to be delivered to our position at the base of the mountains in Dushanbe, Tajikistan near the border to Uzbekistan. But there were extras."

Director Collins watched her face carefully as she explained what happened next. Her stoic image had done her well in the CIA and earned her a lot of respect from her superiors.

"What information was given at the arrival?" Collins asked.

"Pavel was apprehended and delivered with the original escort. The second escort was the vehicle carrying the mercenaries. An escort informed us that they were working under Bane and that they would talk. Langton took it upon himself bring the men aboard as a consolation prize for his… years of experience."

Morgan couldn't help the bitterness in her voice, and the rest of the men certainly picked up on it. It was no secret that she and Langton didn't get along. It had been painfully obvious on her assignment to investigate the corruption of a big time law firm. Langton had it out for her the moment she got the information that Langton was trying so hard to get at after five months. Her part in discovering the hidden transactions by posing as a call girl was crucial despite the simple undercover role; and that pissed Langton off. Especially since all he knew about her was that she had spent years in Tibet and that Collins had deemed her his new favorite.

"He ordered the escort to bring them aboard and prepare to take off. Once we were in the air, as on the report, Langton attempted to interrogate the mercenaries. I left my post to speak briefly with the pilots."

"You left Langton by himself to deal with those men?" The chair of Recon spoke up again, the question hanging in the air as he adjusted his suit.

"We had, what we thought at the time, soldiers sent in partisan to our division for the specific purpose of providing excess firepower. Once Banes identity was made known I ordered for radio silence to be compromised to get a message to Director Collins. There were… complications." She explained with minimal emotion.

"What sort of complications?" Collins asked.

And so went the meeting with her superiors and the grilling of her brain for three hours. And the next five months her time was spent doing security detail for politicians visiting Gotham City. She had learned only a little about Bane during her stay in Tibet. The monks had heard of his adventures in West Africa, securing mining operations for a man called Dagget. She had found this out from the trips they occasionally took over the continent, to convene at orphanages.

Although she wasn't paid to think about such things, she had found some very interesting information. Dagget was the owner of a large construction business in Gotham, one of which that was in corporate competition with Wayne Enterprises. If Bane was doing work for him, then what did he want with Doctor Pavel? She frowned as she turned into the parking lot of her apartment, knowing that it wasn't her place to question all of this and that the CIA would do their work. It had been five months since the Bane incident and she wasn't particularly fond of having to recount her rash actions. She wasn't one to act spontaneously, but she knew she would have been overpowered. Bane was massive, and not in just the physical sense. His voice and presence was overwhelming and certainly threw Morgan for a loop. She knew she did right by escaping. If she had gone down with the plane, then Director Collins wouldn't have even known that Doctor Pavel was still alive or that Bane had intercepted the exchange.

She shook herself as she left her car and climbed the stairs finally arriving after a workout. It was a vintage inspired flat, with a colorful kitchen and plush carpets. Throwing her bag on the floor and sitting on the couch, she called her oldest friend. Lainey Ives. She chewed her lip as it went straight to voicemail.

"Hi Lainey, it's me. I just got back from a business trip a little while ago," _Liar, _she told herself. "I know you're probably busy at the Stock Exchange, but if you get a chance for some fresh air, let me know."

She hung up her cell with a huff and leaned her head back. She hated lying to Lainey and never had to until she got hired by the CIA. She never had so many secrets before and it didn't help her sleep at night to know that she had to hide things from her friend… her sister. Swiping a hand over her face, she set about making her lunch.


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later, buzz on her counter drew Morgan's attention and she moved to look at her phone. The text read:

_Morgaann~ Come to the Exchange around 4:30 right when I get off and we can grab some coffee or something. See ya then! (;_

She smiled and pulled on a pair of high waisted jeans, a t-shirt, leather jacket and boots. She still had plenty of time to get to the exchange and jolted when she found herself waking up from a nap she didn't remember laying down for. It was 4:22. Her exhaustion dissipated as she thought of seeing Lainey. She was her best friend, and only friend. Her blonde waves bounced over her shoulders as she quickly vacated her apartment. It had been too long since she saw her. The drive to the exchange seemed too slow and Morgan found herself constantly reminding herself to not speed on the way there.

Not soon enough she found herself walking through the check point and metal detector, saying a friendly hello the guard as she continued up the stairs and into the massive crowd of shouts, flying paper, and cell phone calls. The noise was immense as she shoved herself through the throngs of business suits and raging men and women alike. She looked for Lainey's ink-like hair and short form. Most likely, she'd be wearing something floral and with her pearl jewelry. She smiled to herself knowing that she would still have the same sense of style since high school. And that's when she spotted her.

Her black hair was pulled into a fashionable bun, pearl earrings, and a grey business suit. With a floral blouse. Morgan shook her head at the confirmation of how little her friend had actually changed. But in a flash, screams shattered the air, elbows flew into her sides, and shots were fired. She let out a shriek as she ducked and turned to where the shots were coming from. _How the hell did people with guns get into the Exchange? _Over the many kneeling bodies, and a room now drowned in a horrible silence, she saw men with semi-automatics dressed like regular citizens. She spared a look at Lainey who was staring at the people around her seat at the console. _Plan, you need to stay calm and you need a plan. _She scolded herself and took several deep breaths, just as she had been taught. To clear the mind and let yourself become aware. Her adrenaline was thrumming in her veins and she stood taller and counted the men with weapons. She was a protector, not a simpleton. She was trained in peace and to act as a shield. But what she saw next nearly shattered her stoicism.

Bane. He was wearing a postal service cargo suit and had stalked into the center of the large room. Morgan's breath stilled as he turned and those ruthless eyes landed on Lainey. Morgan's gut churned violently and she almost retched as he walked up to her friend, his gigantic form towering over Lainey's much smaller, petite shape.

"What's the point of this?" Lainey demanded. "There's no money here!" If it were any other person, Morgan would have been horrified at the cheeky remark. But this was Lainey.

Banes hand was fingering her ID badge before his eyes went to Lainey's face. Morgan almost leapt in, but if she did, there was no telling what Bane would do. Lainey was truly her one weakness, strength, and her only sense of belonging aside from her family.

"Really? Then why are you here?" The mechanized voice chilled Morgan to the bone and she felt faint as he yanked Lainey over to the desk, his hand suddenly burying itself in her black locks. Lainey gave a strangled cry as he pulled her head back and yanked off her ID badge with his other hand before tossing her off her chair and to the side.

"You son of a bitch!"

Morgan's voice burst from her throat with more ferocity than she had realized. She was at Lainey's side in a mere second and helping her up. Lainey looked surprised to see her as she stood in front of her and faced Bane. Her fear was thrust down and replaced with a cold and calculating front.

"Ah! How lovely to see you again." Banes jovial voice got the better of her ego as she thrust her chin higher.

_No fear._ She told herself.

"This is the second time our paths have crossed. Perhaps it is destiny?" His hands rested on his belt.

"Hardly." Morgan growled.

Bane let out a chortle, his massive shoulders shuddering, while three men hurriedly fiddled with a laptop and the central console.

"Seize her."

His order was short and Morgan was ready. Two men charged her from each side, but she kept her eyes straight ahead. The first man ran at her and made to tackle her but was unprepared for the quick rotation of gravity as Morgan's leg caught him so hard in the gut that he flipped over himself. She righted herself and parried two punches from the other man before landing a palm strike directly to his chin, effectively breaking his teeth, then landing three punches to the face. And once again, stillness resumed. Bane clapped slowly.

"Impressive. Take her."

Morgan readied for another attack but froze as Lainey was yanked to her feet by a mercenary and dragged to Bane. She kicked at him with her heels and barely managed an elbow into his gut. Her fists clenched and she made to move forward, but Bane cut her off.

"One more step my dear," Bane was now holding Lainey, placing a large hand on her neck. "And I fear she will no long her have a pulse."

"Please. Don't!"

Morgan's plea fell from her lips before she realized what she had said. Hands suddenly pushed her to her knees and she felt her blood pulsing viciously behind her eyes. She was finally able to see Lainey again and this _beast_ decided now was the time to conjure himself here!

"They cut the fiber." A voice spoke up and Bane glanced at the man with the laptop.

"How much longer does the program need?" He asked as he kept his grip on Lainey.

Morgan struggled to come up with a course of action that didn't include Lainey getting hurt. Even if she was able to fight off the men holding her, she wouldn't be able to get to Lainey in time. Lainey struggled against his grip, only to have him squeeze harder and she let out a squeak.

"Eight minutes." The man spoke again.

Bane turned to look at Morgan. His eyes darkened on her worried face and glanced down to the struggling creature in his monstrous grasp. _So the CIA agent cared for the girl he held_. _Leverage_. Snorting to himself, and at the idea of the agent having such a simple weakness, he inhaled a shuddering breath through the ventilators of the mask.

"Time to go mobile."


	4. Chapter 4

Morgan's eyes were beginning to birth tears as she kneeled with the two men behind her. Bane had dragged Lainey with him as he left, but not before he threw one last glance in her direction. She grit her teeth to keep from screaming at him. His eyes, those sharp grey eyes, crinkled at the edges as if he knew she was of no consequence. Morgan had no intention of making this easy. She remained kneeling as the rest of Banes men were picking out hostages, and she had to come up with something. The man slightly to her right had the muzzle of his gun pressed against the side of her head, while the man on her left kept a hand on her shoulder to keep her down. She had to get the gun facing in a different direction. This close it was too dangerous to make any sudden moves. She could try pulling them off balance… she would need to use one as a shield. But with their guns, there was a very high chance of someone dying.

_Each life is precious, but this is life or death. And Bane has Lainey._ Morgan went over her reasoning and steeled herself. She heard more shrieks as the hostages were led away.

_Now._

She pitched herself forward and twisted as the gun went off over her head. Inhaling, she yanked the merc in front of her as the other shot at them and she grabbed the pistol from the limp man's hand to fire back. Both were dead. She turned and looked toward the hall the Bane had gone through and saw motorcycles. She frowned as she jogged to see, and realized what he had been doing. They were going to ride out through the crowd of employees with hostages to make sure they didn't get shot at!

"Lainey!" She screamed as she shoved through the crowd, desperate to get to the front.

The bikes started up and they were beginning to peel away through the front doors of the building. More screams as the crowd tried to split to let the bikes through. Frantically, she sprinted through the break in the crowd and just barely managed to tackle a man on one of the BMW bikes. The second they hit the concrete there was red in her eyes. She struggled to get up, the force of her tackle having knocked her, the man, and a hostage to the concrete. Finally reaching her feet, she put a hand up to her temple and felt her fingers come away with blood, but she did not feel the pain. She knew how to ignore it.

Throwing her hand down, she reached for the fallen BMW and immediately got on and started it up. A chorus of shouts from the police, some telling her to get to safety as the mercs that were getting away began to shoot and throw their hostages. Her mind went to Lainey as she threw the bike into gear and took off, dodging cop cars and ignoring the demands of Gotham's finest.

She could barely see the rest of the motorcycles ahead of her as she passed cop cars down into the tunnel. One of the men had been knocked off his bike and was getting tackled. His hostage was gone. As she pushed 80 miles an hour, she saw Banes red helmet coming towards her, through a gap in two patrol cars and a flash of black. _Where is she?_ Her mind screamed to find Lainey but she couldn't see her anywhere. Bane had turned abruptly and diverted onto a lower street ahead of her. Slowing down, she noticed what she had to failed to see before. He no longer had Lainey on his bike. Quickly weighing the options between the tailing of a criminal and the loyalty to her friend, she opted for the latter. She slowed down as quickly as she could without ruining her balance, narrowly avoiding several patrol cars, she turned to double back. Her ears had begun to ring from the sound of sirens and the engine of the BMW.

Searching through the tunnel and dodging more cars, she saw a figure standing on the side of the road with a dark framed face. Lainey. Her heart leapt for joy at the sight of her, thanking every deity she knew for Lainey's safety. She knew that if they stopped for too long, the cops would be on them in no time asking question after question. Slowing the bike considerably, she made eye contact and held out her arm, hoping Lainey understand. And to her relief, she did. With Lainey's slight running start, Morgan pulled her up behind her on the bike, letting out a squeak as the bike wobbled a bit before righting itself. With Lainey tucked in tight behind her, arms around her waist, they sped off away from the cops and the tunnel and the stock exchange.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you know the guy who shot up the exchange?"

Lainey was sitting on Morgan's plush velvet couch with a cup of mint tea, straight from Tibet of course, waiting to hear Morgan's explanation. Since they arrived back at the apartment, after ditching the bike, Morgan was struggling with whether or not to tell her friend about her long time job. She was able to show her around her vintage styled flat with only a few questions before she thought she should launch into the events of the past year. Morgan took a deep breath.

"Yeah, look, I need to tell you about a couple of things...I haven't been totally honest with you." She paused and watched Lainey's face as she took a seat in a chair next to her end of the couch. Her blonde hair was tousled from the ride and she attempted to braid it as she spoke.

"When I left for Tibet, I did study there… for a while. We had heard stories from the nomads that would come to visit. A lot of them about the turmoil in Western Africa. There was a mercenary doing work down there, caused a lot of trouble for the local militia."

She glanced at Lainey only to see her hard face and nod, urging her to go on.

"I actually came back to the states in 2010. I kind of intervened in an ongoing investigation about the corruption in a big time law firm since the disappearance of the Batman."

"Wait a second," Lainey put up a hand, "who hired you to do that? I didn't even know you got into that whole espionage thing!"

"I was hired by the CIA, first only as a means of… extra security? Turns out my training at the temples proved more useful than they had first thought, so I was given a small mole-operation. I didn't find out a lot, and after I succeeded in completing a long term assignment in a short time span, I reported back to my 'Base of Operations', I guess. I was there doing more small operations as a Special Operative."

"What's a 'Special Operative'? That sounds like military lingo." Lainey quipped.

Morgan gave a smile, knowing that she could trust her friend to understand. She might have liked that she hid it for so long, but she would understand where Morgan's loyalties lied.

"It's a bit of a freelance title. I'm not an agent since I didn't go through their training programs. But because of my experience at the temples, I was recognized because of my combat skills and my practice in meditation."

Lainey nodded.

"So, about this masked jerk who threw me off the bike?" Morgan winced at the thought of her friend flying into the concrete.

"He's called Bane. I was on an escort detail in Uzbekistan six months ago, retrieving a nuclear physicist from a hostile environment. He was given to us with two other extra prisoners as a token of good will from the Assault and Collection team that found the doctor. We didn't know that Bane was one of the prisoners at the time."

Lainey snorted before saying, "You didn't notice the hulking muscles or the mask?" Morgan shook her head.

"I was already on the plane when they arrived and Bane was on his knees for most of the flight." Lainey let out a quiet, 'oh' before letting Morgan continue. Morgan was grateful for Lainey's God given patience with her. She knew it was a rare thing and this was most certainly a moment when she needed it.

"Bane had help and he nearly blew up the plane with his escape. He took the Doctor with him and crashed the plane."

"How did you survive it then?" Lainey asked. She was leaning forward know as if the story was a gripping fairy tale instead of a post mission memory.

"I acted as an Operative should. I evaluated the situation and-"A grin grew on her face, knowing Lainey hated it whenever she spoke like an arrogant twit.

"Oh cut that out!" she swatted at Morgan and both girls laughed for a moment.

"Sorry!" she put her hands up in mock surrender. "For the most part I just kept out of sight long enough to grab a parachute and abandon ship. When I saw how big Bane actually was… I just didn't think I'd be able to handle that. So I bailed. He almost caught me at the end though. Scared me half to death."

Morgan shuddered at the thought of what he would have done if he actually grabbed her. But she distinctly remembered how his muscled arms felt in her hands as she narrowly avoided his hands. Strong rippling muscles beneath that black shirt... she shook her head to banish where those thoughts were headed. _Don't get weird,_ she scolded herself.

"Wow. Well, I guess the whole CIA and plane crashing deal wasn't what I was expecting. I still wish you could have told me."

Lainey's voice was soft; possibly still trying to process what the blonde had told her. Though it relieved her to finally tell her friend about her work, it didn't quell the guilt that clung like a parasite in the back of her mind.

"I know, and I'm really sorry. But it's not like I was technically allowed to either. A lot of what I was doing was confidential."

A moment of uneasy silence followed. Morgan couldn't help but feel that after all this time, although she had refused to admit before, there was a gap forming between them. And that terrified her. Lainey was her constant. Always there and the one true person who understood her for all of her qualities. It was hard enough for her to leave for Tibet six years ago, and now that she was back, it was only to return with secrets. A part of her hoped that maybe Lainey was hiding something too. In a way it would have made her feel better to know she wasn't the only one who became more than just a girl in an all-boys kung Fu class, teaching the only other girl how to speak English. It was a strange feeling to think that they had changed so much. She looked down at herself, hands folded in her lap. Her jeans were worn and had smudges of dirt from the incident at the Exchange. Her hands still had calluses from all of her training, and her arms and legs were still toned to perfection. She silently wondered, _what does Lainey see in me now? Have I changed too much?_

She looked away and picked up the remote for the TV to turn on the news. She and Lainey both gasped at the news program.

"Holy shit!" Morgan breathed.

The news report had footage of the Batman on the monstrosity of a motorcycle, if one could call it that, going down one of the arterial roads of Gotham. If the Batman had made an appearance while Bane was in the city, things were getting serious. She frowned and stood up with suddenness and crossed the flat to a phone.

"I'm going to make some calls." The overwhelming feeling of a growing separation made Morgan feel sick to her stomach, so she grabbed the phone and went to the other room to call Director Collins.

After what seemed like hours of fruitless negotiation, she was able to wrangle a contact out of Director Collins to talk to about the connection between Bane and Dagget's operations in Africa. Turned out the contact was Commissioner Gordon himself. She knew he was in the hospital since he got shot in the line of duty, but she considered paying Dagget a visit as well. If she did visit Dagget, she might be able to get some answers, especially if she mentioned he was under investigation by the CIA. On the other hand, she wouldn't be able to tell him that she was a legitimate agent, so maybe she would try to make him do all the talking. Morgan chewed her lip as she slid her fingers over the buttons on the phone. If she were to talk to Gordon, she might be able to get some help from a detective to figure out the correlations. But again, talking to Dagget would give her more solid information than just a hunch if she were to go to Gordon at all. Making her decision, she hastily changed into her regulation cargos, boots, and a snug black shirt with her unit ID on it. Grabbing her unlabeled jacket she left her room and went back out towards the couch Lainey was seated on, still watching TV.

"I need to take care of a few things. You can stay as long as you need." She paused trying to find the right words, her uneasiness taking over. "There's a spare key next to the blue vase in the dining room."

"Okay. Does this have to do with your job?" Lainey asked.

"Yes it does. And I'm afraid it can't wait." She fiddled with her keys in her pocket. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" She finished soberly.

"Okay. Take care, will you?" Lainey turned with a smile. But Morgan knew that smile. It was forced.

She almost pointed out that she knew when Lainey was feigning emotion, but decided not to give cause for the elephant in the room to grow even more. There were too many questions that they both had, and it seemed that neither could handle answering them anytime soon.

"I will." She replied.

Morgan made quick work of locking the door and driving to the address she had Googled on her GPS for Dagget's penthouse. Gotham seemed to still be busy, as she saw cop cars still on the streets patrolling for the Batman.

It felt like ages ago she had left Tibet and the other monks. She wasn't particularly close with any of them, but she respected them all as great mentors and treated them with utmost reverence. One monk in particular had focused hard on training her. Hu-Feng. He was older, verging on 98 he had said, and was her instructor for her meditation. She started out as extremely impatient, always expecting quick results and rewards for her assumed 'hard work'. It took months before she had learned just how to sit completely still in lotus position. From then on he had taught her how to see past the desires of the flesh and body: the desire or companionship, lust, money, and other material corruptors. He also taught her how to survive without being prepared. That particular lesson left her on a 35 mile trek to return to the temple. And during her long journey, she had encountered more than her Master had thought. She had lost the resolve that she was building and had her first meltdown. She never liked that memory and often shied away from deliberately thinking about it. The worst part was that she would eventually have to tell Lainey. Her hands tightened on the wheel at the gut churning thought as she pulled into the parking lot of Dagget's building.

On her way up she ended up only going the 63 stories of the building before the elevator let her go no further. She huffed before abandoning the contraption and heading to the stairwell.

"God give me patience." She hissed as she looked up the stairwell to see she had what looked to be another eight floors up.

Sighing, she began the journey up into the sky. Her boots echoed a mild _thud_ with each step and the higher she got the more she wondered what Lainey was really thinking when she'd left her apartment. She had never felt unsure about her bond with Lainey before and it scared her to think that the one constant she always had might have changed into someone she no longer understood. Morgan reached the top of the stairs sooner than she had expected and found the will to push aside her current feelings to open the door to an empty hall. And the door to Dagget's penthouse was barely ten feet to her right.

She straightened her spine and inclined chin like the emotionless and detached agents that made up the CIA. With her tenacity locked in place, she knocked hard twice against the door. Her hands were tightly clasped behind her back and her feet shoulder width apart. The perfect stance and the door swung open. A slimy looking man answered the door with an empty pair of eyes and thin lips, his hair slicked to the side making Morgan almost grimace.

"Can I help you?" The Lilt in his voice made him sound put off by Morgan's presence.

Pulling out her CIA identification she spoke, "S.O. Clarke. I need to speak to Mister Dagget."

"I'm afraid he's indisposed at the moment, but, I'm sure-"

"It'll only take a few minutes and I'm sure he can't be so busy with eating dinner he's unable to talk?" She quirked a brow as he swallowed sharply. He opened his to speak and hesitated for a moment.

"Now is not a good time." His voice was tight and Morgan could almost smell the tension.

"I'll be brief."

Her reply was sharp and she shoved past the man before her to walk up the stairs and into the foyer. The penthouse was large and decorated with glossy champagne colored marble. She heard voices to her right and quickly went in that direction as the man behind her was growling about security. Her steps were quick as she entered a living room to find the same figure that she had come to recognize. She stopped short and she almost gasped. Bane was standing in the room, his back to her thank God, and man in a suit barking words she didn't catch. But he stopped speaking when his eyes landed on her.

"Well I wasn't expecting the girls to come _after_, and what the hell is she wearing?"

The man had an odd lisp and was sharp faced with all the features that just rubbed her the wrong way. Her back went ramrod straight as Bane turned and his eyes locked with hers. The man who greeted the door spoke up.

"My apologies sir. But she's actually-"

"Silence." Bane held up a hand at this command and the other voice halted suddenly. "Special Operative Clarke, what a surprise. I do think you may have an obsession. And an unhealthy one at that."

She tried to suppress a shiver at his voice, but Bane caught it, and his eyes crinkled at the edges in amusement. It took her a moment to find her voice.

"I'm afraid my business is not with you. Mister Dagget, if you would, I need a moment of your time."

His frown made his face look a lot older as he replied, "And what is this about exactly?" Morgan held her gaze with Mister Dagget, careful not to glance at Bane.

"I have some questions I would like to ask that are of a delicate nature for your company. I'm sure you'd be willing to oblige me as I have been assigned to _only _ask questions and not obtain any warrants at this point in time." Bane chuckled. Again, she struggled to ignore his presence, but she struggled even more to not shy away from his now approaching steps. Her heart suddenly lurched in her chest and seemed to stop all together with a painful squeeze.

"Dagget, you must excuse us. The Operative and I have some unfinished business."

His shadow had now fallen across her face which was plastered with a stony gaze as if it were her only defense. But Bane knew otherwise. He had seen her fight at the Stock Exchange. She was not new to fighting, she moved with a precise fluidity that was very quick. Whether or not her hits were strong didn't matter. Bane could handle her when it came to brute strength, but he had made note of her speed. She was quick to the point of shaming even Bane's reflexes. And that somewhat made him feel insulted.

"Please keep your distance, sir." Morgan forced the emphasis on 'distance' and was only given a moment to react as his hand made a near blinding attempt at her throat. But it was not fast enough; Morgan had stepped back and to the side and made quick work of striking his arms at his second and third attempt at grabbing her.

For Morgan, Bane was painfully slow to fight and she only did precise hits that, on a normal man, should have torn the muscles apart from the bone. But hitting Bane was like hitting a dried pile of leather, it was so hard and taught from use. Dagget and the other man watched, almost dazed, as Morgan took several steps back toward the staircase that led to the entrance of the penthouse. Bane, as if sensing her intent, gave a loud chuckle.

"Where do you intend to go, little one?" The taunt made Morgan's blood boil.

If there was one thing in the world she absolutely hated, it was when people resorted to petty insults. Her frown deepened as she spoke.

"Mister Dagget, expect to be hearing from me again." Her words made Bane's eyes twitch, her dismissal of Bane as a threat would have seemed almost comical to him, had her voice not been so artificial.

She opened her mouth as if to speak again, but instead, she launched herself up the stairs and flew through the door with alarming speed. Her departure followed by a quick shout. Her arms pumped as she threw herself into the stairwell. As she ran, she thought of how she would escape the building. There was a chance that if she got down several floors, she could call an elevator, but she also didn't know if anyone would be going up. And if she ran into any of Bane's many followers she would definitely have a problem. His men had a penchant for being well armed and no amount training or martial arts skills can stop a bullet. She let out a yelp as she barely missed the last step and she shook her head to refocus. _Guess I should take the stairs all the way- _Her thought was cut off by chorus of shouts coming from below her. She looked over the railing cautiously and nearly rolled her eyes.

"Of course." Her growl was quiet.

Below her, men with guns were filing into the stairwell, obviously looking for her, and she quickly pushed herself against the far wall to avoid being seen. The door to the closest floor was down the stairs in front of her. She stood stock still for a moment, listening, before continuing slowly towards the door. Once she reached it she wasted no time in yanking on the handle. It was locked. Morgan dismissed this as a minor miscalculation. She was prepared with her gun, and although she never liked using them very much, she made a few exceptions. She listened to the shouts, still well below her as they began to mobilize. If she shot the door they would know she was above them, and at this point, it might not make a difference. She readied herself as she pulled out her pistol and aimed, followed by the loud crack of thunder that rang in the stairwell as she fired. She didn't bother with the handle and simply kicked the door in and tore down the hallway. Morgan found another stairwell and she eyed it cautiously as she slowed her pace to move past it in the hopes of finding the elevator bay. But there was no such luck.

A blinding light and deafening screech sent her reeling as she struggled to stay upright. She didn't realize she had screamed until she felt the need to breathe again. Her eyes were dancing with lights that she knew must have been the product of a stun grenade. She had no time to collect herself as the butt of a rifle came down hard on her temple.


	6. Chapter 6

A steady pulsing consumed the space between Morgan's ears. Her eyes felt crushed by the confines of her skull and the swelling on the side of her head ached with a thudding pain. She knew she was waking up and she also knew that if she dared to move it would only hurt more. As consciousness returned to her, she focused on relaxing each and every muscle she was becoming aware of. Her long pulls of breath didn't abate her headache, to which she would most certainly have a concussion, but helped to find her center. She could feel herself lying on her side with her hands tied behind her back. The surface she lay upon she noticed was a cot. Over a span of several minutes, she managed to slowly push aside the pain so that she could open her eyes. Although she faced a wall, she could see it was concrete and most certainly left untouched by any interior decorator. It was dark and cool.

She allowed her eyes to close again. Internally she was lecturing herself on her foolish course of action. While she may have thought it through, she failed to tell Lainey what to do if she didn't come back. Not to mention she didn't give her any of the files she had. Those files, copies of what she had seen in her office at the CIA, could put anyone on the same trail Morgan had been pursuing. It took her a moment before she was able to reign in her thoughts. She was tied up and in a room and was out cold for God knows how long. Morgan wasn't concerned about her safety for the moment namely because of Bane. He had showed an interest in her which implied that he either thought she was of weak resolve and would help him in some way or, her preferred option, he would try to beat answers out of her. The latter didn't seem like such an issue mostly because she knew she would heal. It may take time and it may not be pleasant but a body can heal. The one type of training she didn't have much of was to protect her psyche.

While her sense of loyalty and practice of patience had never failed her, she knew she would have a problem if he got into her head. As for how and why Bane would do that, she wasn't sure. It was that uncertainty that told her to stop thinking. She slowly sat up on the cot finding the room completely empty except for her and the piping above her head. She swung her feet over the edge of the cot and stood to move to the center of the room. If Bane was going to do anything to her, she would make it as damn difficult as possible. And the one thing that never changed over the years was her stubbornness. She was not afraid to use it.

For the next few hours, she sat silently in the middle of the room with her spine straight as a tree trunk reaching for the wayward sky. Her eyes closed and mind clear, she would almost appear to be asleep despite the folded legs and tied hands. She was calm and she would stay this way until heaven or hell defeat her.

"An odd practice, little one." The mechanized voice pulled Morgan out of her temporary nirvana and opened her eyes to find him squatting before her.

"Will you not speak to me?"

_Say nothing, don't give him anything to work with._

Bane watched her as her faced remained expressionless and her eyes fell closed again. She was remarkably well disciplined for such a young woman. When Bane first saw her on the plane, after the bag was removed, he had assumed she would be just another casualty of the rising fire. Most certainly not anything of consequence.

Until now.

She was posing a challenge. A challenge that Bane could neither resist nor refuse. He found her resistance to any taunts amusing which built a fascination that he reasoned would lead him to breaking her. Oh, he would enjoy breaking this intriguing little creature.

"You are no fool, even I can see that. But, little one, you have become a problem. You are putting that nose of yours in places where it doesn't belong." His stormy eyes watched her, waiting for a reaction. She gave none. Even Bane had a limit to patience and this girl, this creature of stoicism, was making him think that perhaps he might see what would happen once he reached his limit.

Bane was close enough to reach out and strike her, he certainly considered it, but this girl was not like a typical martyr. She was enduring. When his men had brought her down to the room, her shirt had ridden up and a sight was beheld in that moment. Unbeknownst to Morgan, her shameful scars had been witnessed by complete strangers and to the very devil that opted to exploit it. His hope was that it was an old wound, both physical and emotional.

"Your scars are rather interesting, little one. Care to explain?" Bane waited for an answer but was again presented with nothing but the slight flutter of her lids.

He took this moment of quiet to look better at the woman before him. A long straight nose, oval face, strong neck, and full _very_ pouty lips. Her shoulders were squared and straight and Banes eyes continued to survey her. She was by no means thin. If anything, her figure if it were not well kept would be considered fat. But she took very good care of her body, that he could see plainly. He reached out and twisted a strand of her golden hair between his large fingers.

"What happened to give you those scars?"

"What happened to give you _those_ scars?" She shot back his question just the same, but with a deeper twist.

His chuckle resonated deep within his bones and echoed in the near empty room. Morgan's eyes remained closed but she could remember the scars she had seen on the back of his head that delved into the collar of his jacket and beneath the vest.

"So she speaks." Morgan heard the rustle of his pants as he stood. "I find myself intrigued by you, Special Operative Clarke. You watched the beginning of my plans take root and discovered more in that six months than I anticipated. Not to mention I was unable to locate you after your sudden descent. I am curious though as to why you did not report to your superiors of the incidents that took place?"

_He's baiting you. Don't speak._ Despite the fact that she did in fact report the incidents she wasn't about to tell Bane that her superiors eventually decided on going over her head to continue the investigation. But to tell Bane would only stoke the growing spark of interest in his eyes. The beast watched her as she remained silent.

"Soon enough I will grow tired of your uncooperative behavior. I suggest you submit now and answer my questions." His voice was growing tighter by the moment.

Still, she said nothing.

There was a pregnant pause before his boot connected sharply with Morgan's side and sent her sprawling across the floor. Though she let out a whoosh of air, she made no other sound. To her credit, she knew he was not as patient as she could be and that she could handle pain. In a split second he was crouching above her and grabbed her under the jaw to make her face him, his fingers gripping a little too tight. What angered him even more was that her eyes were still closed.

"I will break you in all ways you fear, if you do not cooperate, little one."

Slowly, her eyes opened to reveal deeply mesmerizing blue eyes. In this moment there was only stillness. It was the same blue that bordered the outside of Talia's eyes. The blue that was his favorite. And this little creature possessed eyes that were full of this color. A rush of red hot fury took him as he changed his grip to her neck and hoisted her to eye level against the wall.

Morgan tried to gasp but gained no air as she tried to shove her chin downward and free a little space for precious oxygen to pass through. Bane pushed her harder against the wall with his whole body, nearly enveloping her. With eyes still locked they stared at each other and Bane's grip began to loosen.

"You have made your choice, little one. I will enjoy breaking you." If Morgan could see his mouth she would have seen him snarling through his teeth.

"I invite you to try." She wheezed.

He dropped her to stride out of the room once more and Morgan sucked in air. In this moment, she knew what she had done. The pain would come soon and she would prepare. Prepare for the bruises and blood. But mostly prepare for what she had unleashed. She had openly challenged a man known for his ruthlessness to find a way to break her body. It was easy enough to know that she could handle it but there was the possibility of Bane doing something else. She shook at the thought of it. While reports of Bane and his men held no record of sexual assault and rape it wasn't impossible that it had happened. What would he do to her if she could handle pain but not… something else?

"Don't think about it." She told herself as she resumed lotus position and went back to her place of calm.

"Just don't."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I'm leaving for Italy today so I won't be updating for a while, but please don't hesitate to review! I'll send my responses as I get to them! I've already got some lovely feedback and I'll try to keep the story going.

Thanks so much and enjoy!

Morgan didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she jolted awake from falling backwards. Still seated on the concrete and bathed in silence, she guessed it couldn't have been more than a couple of hours since she spoke with Bane. She almost looked at her watch until she tried to tug against the bonds of her hands behind her back. She let out a resigned sigh.

In her relatively short life as it was, she never truly found her calling. She never found that one thing she could see herself doing for the rest of her existence and it didn't necessarily bother her, but she always had the lingering sense that everyone had an ultimate calling. Something that would pull her away from what she would be in the moment and thrust her into the great beyond. For as long as she could remember she always had martial arts in her life; she was strong and fearless but also patient and withdrawn when the situation called. If there was one thing she did somewhat regret, it was not going to college. She was lucky to have found a job with the CIA and she never truly considered what she would do with herself if she lost that. And right now, it felt like that job and her place in life didn't seem very well planned. This was a thought that always managed to irk Morgan, in more ways than one. For such a calculating person she couldn't figure out what to do with her future. And when she found herself thinking about the whole scenario, she always ended up in a foul mood. Just like now, there was no denying, as she was lost in thought her face had contorted and left her brow at a steep decline and a clenched jaw.

_Dammit, _she thought.

For the next hour, it seemed, all she did was sit and empty her mind of all the thoughts that threatened to make her question what Bane would do to her. The possibilities were endless and she much preferred having a solid result than a series of 'what ifs'. So, to avoid all of that, she began to think of an open space. So wide and clear, under the moon and stars, that she could see a full 360 degrees around her. She imagined looking up at the sky as if through glass and watching the grand expanse bend and swoop in an elegant stream of darkness and light.

She could feel it. The separation from the real space around her to her place of calm. The sensation of lifting from the base of her skull and pulling up through her very skin. Warmth spread throughout her being and she knew she was smiling now, though she could not feel it. It was this same state of bodily separation that she had mastered at the temple, with her favorite teacher, before leaving for the US.

A sudden bang and burst of light pulled her violently from her Nirvana and back into the concrete room, looking glossy eyed at the door way.

_Bane._ She blinked.

Bane said nothing as he entered but he saw the look of pure peace on the woman's face. Her blue eyes shone and lips slightly parted as if she were smiling only seconds before. His lumbering figure stopped just in front of Morgan and he stared down at her. He couldn't help but wonder just why she was so calm at this moment. Not to mention she was very stubborn. She had refused to tell him what he wanted to know, though not crucial just yet, and seemed to be relatively unafraid.

"I thought you said you were going to break me." Her voice was like razors in the silence and still oddly feminine. Bane took a breath that echoed in the room.

"Oh, I will little one. But you may have put yourself in a much more dangerous position by intriguing me. What I would like to know is how you became acquainted with Miss Kyle."

Two of his men entered the room to pull her to her feet and Bane let the question sink in. Though Morgan showed no outward sign that the question confused her, she was at a loss to even figure out a relatively intelligent retort. So, she settled for her go-to option. Silence.

Bane said nothing as he turned and motioned for them to follow him. So she was going to leave her little prison and follow the bad guy into his lair. It was almost comical how he took the underground hideout idea to a new level as they walked along the gridded walkways and into a main atrium. But unlike a typical hideout, it was bustling with life and noise. Shouts from mercenary to mercenary, noises of welding, cascading water; it was a wonder they weren't discovered yet. Morgan found it almost easy to not feel threatened in this place, and for some odd reason, it reminded her of one of the temples. It may not have been underground, but the air had the same wet metallic taste and the ground beneath her feet made the same _slap_ noise when she walked.

_You're getting too comfortable._ The thought burst through her musings like a sledgehammer and brought her back to her situation.

Glancing around she could see a total of 11 men around her, 7 of them armed with a semi-automatic or a handgun. _Nothing to do yet, just play the hostage._ Most of the men around her were in relatively good shape; but she was better.

"How long are you going to deny me my answers?"

Morgan barely suppressed a wince at the sound of his voice so close to her. Looking up, she could see his chest inches from her face and his mask still inches higher than her head.

"I have no answers for you." A low rumble was her response from Bane.

"You are trying my patience, and it already growing thin."

Morgan's eyes narrowed just a fraction as the hand that had been holding her slipped away. Bane was facing away from her and looking down at his hands as he worked with something.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have apprehended me in the first place, if I'm proving such a challenge."

The muscles in Bane's back flexed as he let out a short grunt. Something was going to happen, she could feel it. Almost imperceptibly, she shifted her center of gravity to the balls of her feet, leaning slightly forward. Her nervousness didn't stem from being with all of these men, but more from not knowing what he was going to do next. And for a moment, the stillness of the room aside from the rushing water was agitating her. She wanted silence so she could hear his breathing. But no such luck.

She leapt to the side at the last second as Bane took a monumental swing at her; her breath leaving her lungs as adrenaline flooded her system, making her muscles jitter. _He was taping his hands_, she noticed. The once bare knuckles now covered in gauze and padding.

"You are no fool, even I can see that. Now tell me, why would I wrap my hands if I do not care if I feel pain?"

Two more swings that forced her to leap backwards and twist away from his grabs.

"Assuming you could catch me, you bandage your knuckles so you can hit as hard as you want. You won't break me," The second sentence catching Bane's notice. "but you will endeavor to savor my begging." Her lips curled ever so slightly at the change in his posture.

He was leaning more forward now, and she saw that as his anger bleeding through. _Nice, now what next? Think girl, come on._

The next seconds were occupied by putting distance between his strikes and her head. The dance was strong and thundering on his half, while lithe and silent on hers. Morgan's steps were carefully measured as she angled herself to allow Bane to herd her over one of the walkways that hung above the pool of sewer water that fell from the ceiling.

_Get to the water. Water always goes somewhere._

A shift in gravity threw her backwards several feet before she regained balance. Mentally shaking herself for getting distracted, she refocused on Bane; his eyes alight with some sort of odd satisfaction.

"Don't look away, little one, you might find yourself in a terrible position." He taunted her.

_Now._

She flew at him, dodging and parrying almost every strike, as she returned her own with force. But not punches, oh no, she used her finger tips and heels of her palms to bruise and tear muscles before he landed another good punch to her ribs, throwing her back with her startled gasp and a cough.

Bane almost went at her again before he felt something odd in his left arm, just below the elbow. He glanced down at his bulging arm. It wasn't pain, no he knew what that felt like and his mask wouldn't allow such a sensation to flood him. What he saw instead made him rile up like an enraged jungle cat. The bitch had actually caused damage!

The muscle of his elbow was swollen and purple with a strange knot in it, pulsing through his flesh. His eyes rose to the woman before him, her stance leaning slightly to the right.

"You little minx," his voice now rumbling in the open air of the atrium, "perhaps there is indeed more to you than meets the eye."

_Be ready for the drop._ She didn't allow herself to think about his words, but did allow one last act of rebellion.

She smirked at him before launching herself over the edge of the railing and into the sewer water below. She was so focused on getting to the drain she paid no attention to the bullet that had buried itself in her calf. A shame for her she didn't think of the men already at the drain's exit.

A yank pulled her up out of the water and arms grabbed for her as she kicked and made the men send pained cries out into the atrium. The pain in her leg was beginning to throb as she thrashed in the last man's grip and sent him flying backward with a broken nose and jaw. Her struggle was not long lived. Bane was already feet in front of her and before she could move, grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her over his shoulder and slamming her into the ground.

Black spots consumed her vision before it dragged her consciousness away. And in those last moments of light, she felt humiliated.

_You damn fool._


End file.
